Warbird Information Exchange

Wire service news item in this mornings Everett HERALD-
'An airport summoned a bomb squad to detonate a suspicious item that turned out to be pickled mangoes. X-ray equipment used by security screeners in Columbus could not detect what was inside a sealed canister in luggage being inspected around 7 P.M. Tuesday.
The container was labeled 'baby food' but authorities said security personel became suspicious when the woman who owned the suitcase claimed the canister held pickles. The bomb squad detonated the item, discovering the pickled mangoes'

"did anyone bring any tortilla chips man?"

OK, you can sleep better knowing they are watching out for us night and day-

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Don't make me go get my flying monkeys-

Yes, they're very busy thinking American citizens are terrorists, and granting Al-Quaeda prisoners from Gitmo Amnesty on Palau and the carribean! The good guys are the bad and the bad are good.

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"No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth!" R.R.

Welcome to the USSA! One Nanny State Under the Messiah, Indivisible with Tyranny, Higher Taxes, Socialism, Radical Environmentalism and a Loss of Income for all. Boy I'm proud to be a part of the USSA, what can I do to raise taxes, oh boy oh boy!

Gotta be vigilant and watch out for those TSA terrorists. They'll blow up your pickled mangoes every time.

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F-84F Simulator Project
www.f-84f.org

Well this is just silly. I don't like the TSA or HSA at all but what you just described is standard practive these days for 'suspicious' packages. Just about the first thing people do now is call the police. You never know when some evildoer will be trying to blow up the local krispy kreme.

About 10 days ago they had a gas station close to me roped off when i drove by and I could see a little robot vehicle easing up to the gas pumps. The sheriffs bomb sqad ended up blowing up a bunch of computer parts in a box.

C'mon troops. Lighten up on 'em. It's in their SOP.
"We HAVE to do something every now and then to justify our existence."

Maybe I dealt with the gubmint types for too long and it's made me cynical.

Mudge the cynic

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Land of the free because of the brave

Yes, detonating suspicious packages is silly. Any time airport security finds something that might be an explosive device, they should just give it to Inspector and A2C to open. Enjoy your mangoes boys!

August

Being someone that has actually dealt with these packages, I agree with August. When I worked for Us Airways on the ramp, and we got a package that was making noise, vibrating, or whatever, let me tell you, that makes you break out in a cold sweat.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Director

What's the big deal
Our bomb squad recently blew up a gym back full of soiled underwear

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Don't touch my junk!!

I meant this post was silly, not blowing up packages. Blowing up stuff is always fun.
My point was it is standard operating procedure these days to blow up packages, simple as that. This time becuase it was mangoes and the tsa it is somehow 'news'.

At the rate the TSA's going their liable to go postal and implode.

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"No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth!" R.R.

Welcome to the USSA! One Nanny State Under the Messiah, Indivisible with Tyranny, Higher Taxes, Socialism, Radical Environmentalism and a Loss of Income for all. Boy I'm proud to be a part of the USSA, what can I do to raise taxes, oh boy oh boy!

My Goodness! People you'd better wake up! Don't you realize the dangers of pickled mangos?? Thank you security! Now if you could get rid of all the black olives! And don't forget the killer tomatoes...they did a movie on that one.....

Of all the things to blow up food would be at the top of my list. Kind of like a food fight gone to overtime. Why would someone ruin something good like a mango by pickling it? Sounds like it deserved to be blown up if you ask me.

I like mangoes. Pickling them should be prohibited by international law. Blowing them up is unthinkable.


Dean the tropical fruit eater!

HEY!
I make a killer mango, red onion, and lime juice dip so I'm in-

I've predetermined that if I ever need to crawl on a commercial jet again and I get 'we need to do a secondary inspection on you' I'm going to start taking of my clothes and just lay on the Xray belt asking at the top of my lungs 'what do you want to see, did you bring the boroscope?'
As you may all surmize, I don't embarass easily

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Don't make me go get my flying monkeys-

Having had to deal with a number 'suspicious packages' in London in the 80s and 90s (yes, no mangoes (or bananas) but a couple of real bombs (IRA & pressure group) as well as lots of thoughtlessly left bags) I'd cheerfully have the no-brain clowns who leave bags unattended sanctioned. Actually, blowing up their luggage is a good lesson for life.

I'd also rather have someone blow up the parcel than have to search the building for a bomb after a threat, which was another joyous couple of occasions I got to play.

One day I'll tell you the 'notabomb' story...

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James K

"Switch on the underwater landing lights"
Emilio Largo, Thunderball.

www.VintageAeroWriter.com